carlkay58 (Allies) vs Pelton (Axis) 43 Campaign

[carlkay58]

Land: The 8th BR Army has begun to reach the main Axis defensive line along the Bifreno

River. The infantry has reached Foggia and the Ofanto River line and should be up in the

next turn. The 7th US Army has reached the outskirts of Naples with the infantry close

behind. The invasion along the western Italian coast northwest of Rome is continued to be

planned. The preparation is slow going as I am using two divisions in each invasion so

there is only three or so prep points accumulated per turn. This is probably too slow and

I will have to do something to speed things up. I will be evaluating this more closely

next turn with some help from additional recon and a few other tricks. Another

determining factor will be the strength of the new Axis defensive line. It looks like it

may not be very well defended and my breakthrough may not need help from an invasion.

[carlkay58]

Overall Status:

Aircraft available: the Allies are getting more and more superiority.

[carlkay58]

Fuel Stores + Pool: the Axis are trending downwards or even the past few turns. The

Strategic Air War is beginning to have some effect.

[carlkay58]

Oil Stores + Pool: the oil stores have continued to climb. Once I can reach the Ploesti

oil fields, this will start to decline. But until then I just can't hit enough oil

industries to really have an effect on this. Unfortunately, this means that the oil

reserves are growing so my more successful attack on the fuel refineries will not have

lasting effects as they have plenty of oil to refine.

[Seminole]

The invasion along the western Italian coast northwest of Rome is continued to be planned. The preparation is slow going as I am using two divisions in each invasion so there is only three or so prep points accumulated per turn. This is probably too slow and I will have to do something to speed things up.

I realize you're well ahead of the AAR in your game, but wanted to mention something on this point.
Your Amphib HQ needs to have 50 prep points for an invasion, but your combat units only need to have 30. Because of the advantages of additional prep points accumulated for smaller units it pays to consider heavily how much you'll really need in the initial wave, and to possibly juggle some units (you won't lose prep points using naval movement from port to port so long as you end in a hex with a prepping Amphib HQ) to hasten getting your Amphib HQs to 50 while your combat units get to at least 30.

Here's a matrix of the unit/port combinations and the prep points you can expect:

[marion61]

I appreciate you doing this! I've been meaning to do something similar, as most of my notes are on "real" paper and haven't been put to computer yet. Every time I plan an invasion this is going to be so helpful to figure out what turn you can launch. Maybe someone can make an app, and we can name it "The Launch Calculator"?

[Seminole]

I appreciate you doing this! I've been meaning to do something similar, as most of my notes are on "real" paper and haven't been put to computer yet. Every time I plan an invasion this is going to be so helpful to figure out what turn you can launch. Maybe someone can make an app, and we can name it "The Launch Calculator"?

I'm not sure the real utility of it because there are so many scenarios/combinations possible.
I
e.g. On the first turn of the Battleground Italy 43-45 scenario you can reposition all but one (to keep the temporary port operational) of your TF back to port. There is already a FF regiment with no MP in port, so I send one TF there. Break down the 4th Moroccan and put them on trains to the other ports (Bone, Tunis, Sousse) to meet up with TFs. Your last TF can go to Valleta (by Malta), I send the BR Inf Bde (231st?) that is already prepping in Africa to this port. Due to the size of the port and the unit being an Ind. Bde. I get 12 prep points. In the other ports the French regiments and their TF get 21 points. On the second turn I swap the TF and Inf. Bde at Valleta with the TF and Rgt at Bone. Now the TF and Inf Bde will get 13 prep points per turn.

12+13+13+13 means the TF can invade a turn sooner than if I hadn't switched ports, whereas the FF Rgt still gets 21+20+20, so he can still launch with the others a week sooner than the Ind. Bde.

Trying to get all the combinations and permutations into an online calculator seems like a real chore vs. the utility.
At least having the matrix to reference you can look at the force combination you have available and see how you might want to juggle units between ports during the prep phase to maximize your effort.


"Logistic considerations belong not only in the highest echelons of military planning during the process of preparation for war and for specific wartime operations, but may well become the controlling element with relation to timing and successful operation."
- VADM Oscar C. Badger, USN

[marion61]

The launch calculator was my attempt at humor.[;)]

[carlkay58]

Turn 13: (Sep 25, 1943)

No real information is present for the turn on the map. The usual defensive naval

interdictions by the Axis.

[carlkay58]

Air: No real change with my Air Directives. The MTO is still in the 'waiting' mode as the

Allies are still approaching the new Axis defensive line and the invasion is preparing.

The recon results are much the same as last turn. I have decided to continue with the

invasion as planned. I will have enough time to do the invasion and still get the 1st CA

Army back to the ETO for June 44.

[carlkay58]

Land: The 8th BR and 7th US Armies reach the new Axis defensive line. There are

weaknesses that I will be able to start to probe next turn. I will do that and see if I

can move the line a bit and at least capture Naples. The trick is to get the Axis to

commit more to the defense here and weaken their coastal defenses.

The problem is that it will take probably three or four turns minimum to get the

logistics in place for moving the Tactical AF and Strategic AF over for better air

support and bombing Ploesti. It will take another turn or two for the land forces to have

good supplies in order to attack the line.

I forgot to screen shot the end of the US turn, but the front is pretty static at this

time.

[carlkay58]

I apparently did not document Turn 14 - but I did do screen shots!

So Status:

[carlkay58]

Air:

[carlkay58]

And end of turn:

[carlkay58]

Turn 15:

Nothing has really changed much on the strategic level or intel side of things in the

Med.

[carlkay58]

Air: I spend this turn moving the Tactical AF to airbases in Italy closer to the front.

The Foggia airbases will be used by the Strategic AF to base the raids against Polesti

but the other airbases are staffed up with tactical air groups.

[carlkay58]

Land: 8th BR Army brings the Axis defensive line into contact. The 7th US Army launches

an attack north of Naples and drives deep into the Axis defensive line threatening to

surround Naples.

[carlkay58]

Turn 16: (Oct 16, 1943)

The Axis have pulled back from Naples to a more traditional defensive line behind rivers

and anchored in the mountains. Heavy Axis Naval Interdiction in the Adriatic Sea and

north of Corsica.

[carlkay58]

Air: I transfer the XII Carrier Command to the western edge of Sicily so my airborne

units will be within range of the main invasion site. Tactical AF moves its Recon

missions back to start covering the major portion of the invasion site while still

covering the front line. This should not tip the Axis off as to the invasion site.

[carlkay58]

Land: The 7th US Army captures Naples and advances to the main Axis defensive line. The

defense values along the line are pretty high and will require some work to put pressure

on them, especially in the bad weather of October.

I start to move the airborne divisions across to Sicily. I keep things careful to end the

turn in a port with an airfield so that the Preparation points are not lost. My invasion

prep points are around 30 right now for the five invasion forces. This leaves me about

seven or so turns left to go before the invasion is prepared and ready to go. That will

make it sometime in December 1943.